Volleyball: Sacred Heart, Chapelle, Mandeville stay hot with wins Tuesday

Area Prep Volleyball Report for Wednesday, Sept. 22

Academy of The Sacred Heart is the defending Division IV state champion.

While the Cardinals saw a state championship coach in Sinisa Momic depart, a multiple state championship coach at two other schools in Jay Jay Juan took over the reins.

The transition has been seamless, and Sacred Heart looks the part of a state title contender again in 2021.

The Cardinals went to Belle Chasse and handed the Cardinals their first loss of the season, winning 25-21, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23.

MC Mazzanti led the way for Sacred Heart with 15 kills while Cami Davis finished with 12 kills. Catherine Bonura produced 38 digs and Katherine Hall had 18 digs. Marian Graffagnini had 26 assists, Brooke Habetz contributed 23 assists and Gigi Gibbons added three blocks for the Cardinals.

“Belle Chasse plays hard and Stephanie Andrews does a great job,” Juan said. “For a new team, we are learning each other. What I like about this group is that they have no quit in them. We were down 7-1 in the third set and did not flinch, we chipped away and ended up winning it. Most teams panic in that mode and concede the set. We fought back and won. I like where we are right now.”

Nya St. Cyr led the way for Belle Chasse with 13 kills and four blocks, Ellen Rehrig had seven kills and an ace, Jerne Colin finished with four kills, 13 assists and an ace and Kassidi Barthelemy had four kills and 15 assists.

Sacred Heart (4-0) will host a rematch of last year’s Division IV state championship match against Pope John Paul II Thursday at 5:30 p.m. while Belle Chasse (3-1) travels to St. Martin’s Episcopal this evening at 5:30 p.m.

It has been a great start to the season for Archbishop Chapelle as well.

While Catholic school powers in defending state champion Dominican and perennial power Mount Carmel Academy in the region, the Chipmunks get overlooked frequently.

Perhaps that will change this season.

This time, it was much closer.

In the Catholic League Tournament over the weekend, Archbishop Chapelle defeated St. Scholastica in straight sets.

Chapelle remained unbeaten Tuesday with a thrilling 23-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 15-11 win over the Doves in Metairie Tuesday.

Isabella McCann led the attack for Chapelle with 17 kills, 12 digs and two aces while Megan LaCour had 11 kills, two aces and two digs. Carmen Wetzel had 16 digs. Haylie Lambert, Colleen O’Connor and Cailyn LaRocca each served two aces and Haley Bellande contributed two blocks.

Chapelle (7-0) travels to Northshore Thursday at 5:30 p.m. while the Doves (3-7), who have lost four straight matches, will host Pearl River Thursday at 5:30 p.m.

Mandeville won on the road at Ponchatoula in three sets 25-12, 25-12, 25-22 in a District 5-I contest.

Senior Katie Ingram led the Skippers with eight kills, four digs and one assist. Junior Gabi Hogge had eight kills, five digs, one block and one ace. Senior Ashlyn Holliday contributed seven kills, two blocks and one dig. Junior Keira Beverly had five kills, eight digs, one block. Senior Madeline Marquez served five aces with 16 digs and three assists.

Mandeville (7-1) returns to district play Thursday at 4:30 p.m., hosting Fontainebleau. The Green Wave (1-3) lost their third straight match and return to action Thursday at Slidell at 5 p.m.

Area Prep Volleyball Results from Tuesday, Sept. 21
Archbishop Chapelle over St. Scholastica 23-25, 25-21, 17-25, 25-21, 15-11
Academy of Our Lady over NOMMA 25-4, 25-4, 25-3
Academy of Sacred Heart over Belle Chasse 25-21, 20-25, 25-23, 25-23
Ben Franklin over Cabrini 25-17, 25-18 25-23
Chalmette over Thomas Jefferson 25-10, 25-9, 25-13
Country Day over Chalmette 25-14, 25-17, 25-16
Crescent City Christian over Ridgewood 25-6, 25-8, 25-6
Dominican over Pope John Paul II 25-9, 25-14, 25-13
John Curtis Christian over De La Salle 25-9, 25-13, 25-11
Livingston Collegiate over Carver 25-23, 23-25, 25-21, 25-22
Lutcher over St. Charles Catholic 25-13, 25-22, 25-10
Mandeville over Ponchatoula 25-12, 25-12, 25-22
McMain over Morris Jeff Community 13-25, 19-25, 25-17, 25-22, 15-5
St. Thomas Aquinas over Franklinton 25-8, 25-10, 25-16